Brake-beam.



Patented 0ct. 9, |900.

wil l l lll E. POSSDN'.

B R A K E 4 B E A M (Application led. Sept. 25, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

YH: Nonns Firms co.. wom-Limo.. wASHlNnTOM. hier UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD POSSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

.t BRAKE- BEAIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 659.319, dated October 9, 1900.

Eipplcation filed September 25, 1899. eral No. 731,538. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD PossoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams; and I do hereby declare the following to bea fn1l,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to trussed beams, and is especially directed to the improvement of metallic brake-beams, the ohject being to provide by simple and efficient construction and without the use of bolts, rivets, or multiplicity of other small partsa device for securing together the ends of the tension and compression members or bars of such beams.

To the above ends my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

`Figure l is a plan view of a metallic brakebeain constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are views, partly in plan, but principally in horizontal section, on the line w3 m4 of Fig. 2, some parts being broken away, and the latter showing the parts partially separated. Fig. 5 is a View in rear elevation showing one end of the brake-beam. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the linex .r6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a Vertical section taken on the line x7 x7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing in detail the so-called locking-key. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the said key with some parts broken away; and Fig. l0 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but illustrating a slightly-modified construction.

rlhe numeral l indicates the compression member or bar, and the numeral 2 indicates the tension member or truss-bar,of the brakebeam, the former in Figs. l to 7, inclusive, being shown as formed of T-iron and in Fig. 10 as in the form of a iiat bar. At their ceny tral portions the bars or members l and2 are spaced apart and braced by a strut 3, of orends of the compression member 1 and to receive the enlarged or headed ends of the tension member or truss-bar 2. Of course with the T-shaped compression-bar l the surrounding portion of the shoe-heads 5 are made to conform to the outline of the cross-section of the said bar, as shown at 5a, while with the plain bar (illustrated in Fig. l0) the surrounding portion 5* of the said shoe-head conforms to the rectangular cross-section of the said bar.

Y The socket or seat 6, above noted, has such dimensions and form that when the compression-bar 1 is properly positioned therein there Will be left in front of the same an entrancechannel 6, a recess or notch 6b, and a locklug 6C. (Best shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 10.) The entrance channel or passage 6a thus left between the bar l and the lock-lug 6c is just sufficient to permit the headed end of the bar 2 to be passed end Wise therethrough, as shown in Fig. 4, and the recess or notch 6b is adapted .to receive the said head or lug 4 back of the lock-lug 6c when the lug 4 is moved laterally therein to, which lateral movement is, as will be noted, in a direction transverse to the line of the load strains exerted upon the tension bar or member 2. This feature, as Will later more fully appear, is of great importance.

The shouldered heads or lugs 4 are held in the cooperating seats 6, iuterlocked with the cooperating lock-lugs 6'3 by means of keys, (indicated by the numeral 7,) which keys when in position ll or approximately fill the spaces left between the adjacent ends of the tension and compression bars l and 2. The keys 7 are provided with soft or malleable lips or projections 8, which project through perforations 9 in the shoe-heads 5 and, as shown,`are adapted to be turned over rounded bosses 10 on said heads 5. As is evident, when the keys 7 are thus positioned and secured the ends of the tension member 2 cannot be given the lateral movement transversely to the Working strains on the said tension member which IOO is necessary in order to release the heads or lugs 4 from their cooperating lock-lugs 6. Hence the said keys 7 hold the tensionba12 interlocked with the brake-shoe heads 5 and the said bars l and 2 interlocked together, as well as to the said shoe-heads.

Otherwise and briefly stated the members l and 2 and the end cap or socket afforded in this instance by the shoe-head 5 itself are constructed to interlockwith each other to resist the load strains thereon, and when thus interlocked they are securely held in their locked position by the keys 7 without the load strains beiner received on the said keys.

The brake-beam above described is made up of a very few parts, and the component parts thereof are, as is obvious from thc foregoingl drscription, capable of being very quickly and easily pnt together and, furthermore, when pnt together give an extremely rigid and durable construction.

lt will of course be understood that the construction above specifically described is capable of many modifications within the scope of' myinvention. In my preferred construction illustrated the said brake-shoe heads are formed with such recesses or sockets, and are thereby themselves secured in Working position. In other words, the shoe-heads are themselves caps or sockets.

Many other modifications may also be made. The tension or compression bars or members may take various forms other than indicated in the drawings, and either one or both of the same may, if desired, be round in crosssection. The manner of' interlocking the parts may also be considerably varied, and the locking-keys may take various forms. The latter are, however, preferably made of malleable iron and provided with the thin projections or lips adapted to be upset or bent, as above described.

The term truss-beam is used in a very broad sense to include various st ructural ironwork, and it will of course be understood that my invention is applicable to any and all such beams. As an illustration, it is especially applicable to secure the ends of the tension and compression members of metallic truck-holsters.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows: l. In a trussed beam, the combination with compression and tension members and a cap or socket, which parts are adapted to be interlocked by the movement of one of said parts transversely of' the line of load strains thereon, and. a spacing-key insertible between said parts to hold the same interlocked by preventing the transverse movements necessary to unlock them, whereby said key is not subjected to load strains, substantially as described.

2. In a trussed beam, the combination with the tension and compression members, of caps or sockets fitting over the ends of said members, said tension member having an interlocking engagement. with said caps or sockets, by movement transverse to the line of the load strains thereon, and keys insertible between said tension and compression members to hold said tension member against lateral movement with respect to said compression member and thus the parts interlocked without load strains on said key, substantially as described.

In a trussed beam, the combination with the tension and compression members, the former having enlargements or heads at its ends, of caps or sockets fitting over the ends ol said members, and provided with lock-lugs adapted to interlock with the heads of said tension members, when the latter are moved transversely to the line of the load strains thereon, and keys insertible between the adjacent ends of said members to hold said parts interlocked, substantially as described.

Lt. In a trussed beam, the combination with the tension and compression members l and 2, the latter having the enlarged or headed ends 4, of the caps or sockets fitting over the ends of said members l and 2 and formed with the recesses 6, 6, 6b and lock-lugs 6c, with which the ends of the said members are adapted to be interlocked, as described, and the keys 7 with ears or projections 8 working through perfor-ations 9 in said caps and adapted to be bent or upset, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD POSSON.

lVitnesses:

MABEL M. MCGRORY, F. D. MERCHANT.

IOO 

